Liberties area avails of free Wifi

Dublin City Council has successfully launched the first stage of their free WiFi scheme in Dublin, with the Liberties area featuring in the catchment area.

The service is being offered to the public for free by Spanish company Gowex, who
run similar initiatives in many other European cities such as Barcelona and Paris.

Launched in late January, the first stage of the new service can be accessed near the
civic offices in Wood Quay and also near St. Patricks Park.

The free connection initially offers download speeds of up to 500 kpbs, however upgraded, faster versions of the broadband service are available, but they will cost a small fee of between €5-10.

The areas where the connection is available will be clearly distinguished by 14 artistic
mosaics, created by designer Craig Robinson. These include a Dublin GAA supporter,
a street cleaner and a character with a striking resemblance to Imelda May.

The service has long been in the pipeline but Dublin City Council was unable to
proceed with their plans due to certain EU laws.

However, the involvement of a company has allowed this initiative to finally be rolled out.

The free Internet connection will be made available in other areas of the city in coming weeks.

Communal spaces such as Henry Street, O’Connell Street and Temple Bar Square will all soon offer the opportunity to access the service.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí spoke at the launch of the service and he said that Dublin will benefit greatly. “The aim of the plan is to develop Dublin as a world centre of digital excellence,” he said.

This new WiFi scheme is not unique, and similar new projects have been undertaken by both Dublin Bus and Irish Rail in order to enhance Dublin’s development in the ever-growing area of technology.